Article Prepared By Robert Michie
Trails and Sidewalk Committee, Lee District
Last Reviewed: 29 June 2014
Revision 2

Summary:

Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc.has filed a request to construct a CVS Pharmacy on their property in the
Lee Planning District (Tax Map
#094-1 ((78)) B, D, and E).

The requestor is
asking Fairfax County to waive the bicycle trail construction requirement that
the request requires. Specifically, waive the requirement for an on-road
bicycle lane on the Richmond Highway (Route 1) frontage.

The "...tight
geometry of the site and surrounding roadway infrastructure of Route One
and adjoining service road makes any additional roadway widening
difficult."

The applicant offers
a ten-foot wide asphalt trail across the Route One frontage of the
property to use in place of the bike lane.

Map 1: Map of Subject Area: Site of future CVS property (in yellow)

Discussion:

Map 1 shows the property, which is located in the Richmond Highway/Route
One Corridor
Commercial Area of the Hybla Valley Planning District. The property is a
consolidated corner lot at the intersection of Lockheed Boulevard and
Richmond Highway. Fordson Road is residential to the south and commercial to
the north. The
Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan for the Richmond Highway Corridor plans
for a predominately retail/industrial character for properties adjoining
Richmond Highway and a mixture of residential uses just a block away on
either side of the Highway.

Richmond Highway has existing four-foot wide sidewalks in the area. A
service road is available from the CVS property that goes south for a
half-mile. There is a busy bus stop on Richmond Highway near the southeast
corner of the property.

The property is also bounded by Fordson Road and Lockheed Boulevard. Both
thoroughfares have existing four-foot sidewalks on both sides. The property
in the map labeled "Fordson Manor" is actually a Verizon Telephone service
structure, and there is a gap in the sidewalk connecting property 78C to it.

During the field check on 22 June, only four bicyclists were observed
going through the area in a 15 minute period. However, there were were 37
pedestrians moving through the area, and half of them were starting or
ending their trips at the bus stop in Photo 1.

Field Check 22 June 2014

Photo 1: Richmond Highway looking South. The subject
property is actually the present Exxon Station. The bus stop, sidewalk,
and service road are visible. Note the people waiting in the shade
across the service road from the bus stop. They are waiting for a car to
arrive to pick them up.

Photo 3: Fordson Road looking West. The subject property
(Lots 78B and 78C) are on the right. The existing sidewalk ends at the
property's boundary approximately at the telephone pole at the edge of
the tree line.

Recommendation:

Approve the Waiver for the following reasons:

A wider sidewalk along the Richmond Highway/Route One service road
will be of more value to residents and bus patrons than a bicycle lane.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION: ask the applicants to provide a
wider sidewalk (eight-feet) along the Lockheed Boulevard frontage. Many
pedestrians using the Richmond Highway bus stop were also using
Lockheed Boulevard.